Self-serving store



W. B. McCARTY.

SELF-SERVJNG STORE.

APPUCM'ION HLED mu 1, m9.

1,348,024. Patented July 27, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

V I 3W0 W. B. MCCARTY. SELF-SERVING STORE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1919.

Patented July 27 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM B. MCCARTY, OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.

SELF-SERVING STORE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1920.

Application filed June 7, 1919. Serial No. 302,451.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. MOUARTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Hinds and State of Mississipii, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Self-Serving Stores; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, uch as will enable others skilled. in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to self-serving stores, and more specifically to an improved store, for vending merchandise, in which the customer helps hinisel'i' or herself independcntl of aid by a clerk or salesman.

The demand for satisfactory goods at satisfactory prices has given rise to the intro duction of stores in which the customer selects the desired goods from the shelves or bins of the store, taking plenty of time to make the selection and consider the cost, without delaying or interfering with the work of the clerks or other attendants of the store, thereby enabli g the goods to be sold at prices which are very considerably less than where the goods are shown and handled by clerks or salesmen. However, in stores of this character which are not arranged according to the present invention, the fore going advantages are accompanied by certain disadvantages which are overcome by the present invention, and. some of which will be mentioned for the purpose of comparison, as follows:

While a large number of customers are selectingmerchandise from different parts of a store, a number of such customers are almost inevitably hidden from view of the comparatively few clerks or attendants, and this fact being realized by some of the weaker customers acts as a temptation for them to conceal some of the smaller (though perhaps expensive) articles in their pockets or clothing. Moreover, such a store is a standing invitation for the operations of professional shoplifters. Therefore, the conse quent losses are sufficient to curtail the profits to a very considerable extent. To offset such losses, some of the self-serving stores provide a high gallery or vantage point in which one or more detectives or watchmen operate, but obviously the salary of such employee or employees is a very considerable item of expense, and moreover, the presence of such detectives or watchmen is repulsive to the majority of customers of integrity, and tends to exclude this more desirable class of customers from the store.

Another undesirable feature of some selfservmg stores is the inability of the customer to obtain the goods wanted without traversing the entire area of the store, even though such customer may desire only a single article which is near the front entrance.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved self-serving store which retains most of the desirable features while dispensing with or obviating the undesirable l'eatures which were pointed out in the preceding paragraphs, that is, to practically eliminate shoplifting, reduce the payroll to the minimum, in vite the more desirable class of customers, and provide for the quick and convenient exit of an customers who do not wish to traverse tie entire area of the store, while permittin the customers to traverse the store, who desire to do so.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved self-serving store in which the cost of shelving is reduced to the minimum, consistent with ample storage space provided by the shelving.

, A further object is to provide a store of this character in which a single desk suffices s for the operations of accountant, cashier, and bundle wrapper, said desk being arranged between two exits, so that one person may perform the offices of accountant cashier and bundle wrapper when customers are few, but said desk being suificiently capacious to permit a number of such employees or attendants to operate thereon.

A further object is to provide a self-serving store in which the attendants desk and shelving or merchandise holders are so arranged with relation to one another that the attendant or attendants can see the customers in every part of the store, so that the attendant at the desk serves also as a watchman or detective without being considered as such by the customers.

A further object is to rovide an improved self-serv1ng store of this character in which entrance gates are provided at the extreme opposite s des of the store, so that a customer who is acquainted with the location of merchandise in the store can enter the gate most convenient to such merchandisc as this customer wishes to obtain, thereby avoiding the necessity of-crossing the store for the purpose of obtaining such oods.

A further object is to provide an improved merchandise cabinet or holder having its top sufficiently low to permit persons on opposite sides thereof to see one another, and to permit such persons to conveniently he s ect the merchandise in bins on the top t ereof, this improved cabinet being provided with sample ontainers having transparent covers. so that samples of the goods to be vended together with a card bearing the price of such good -an be attractively dis played without daogr r of being disarranged by thoughtless cur-tumors.

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to persons who read the following details of description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fi u-le 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective illustrating the general arrangement of merchandise holders, desk, partitions and gates, according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the storcruoni in horizontal section, the section being taken above the shelving or merchandise lu'ddcrs.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, the section being taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view, the section being taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters corre spend with similar parts throughout the several views, and in which the side walls 5, rear wall or partition 6 and store-front 7 may be of any ordinary or preferred con struction-- The invention consists in the internal arrangement of devices in which the side and rear shelvin s 8 may be sufficiently high to necessitate tiie full upward reach of an ordinary grown person, and the )ecitic construc tion of this shelving will, 0 course, depend upon the class of merchandise m, be held thereby. In the present instance,- however, this shelvin is constructed for holding the class of 00 generally known as groceries, and a re rigerator is indicated at 9, the details of construction of this refrigerator not constituting a part of this invention, but the same is interposed in one of the side shelvings, and butter, cheese, milk and many other commodities may be kept therein.

A central merchandise holder or duplex shelving 10 extends from the paitition 6 for-- wardly ap roximately to the center of the ,ro0m,this uplex shelving comprising a partition or wall 11 which is parallel with and substantially halfwa between the side walls 5. A magazine rac 12 is disposed on the front end of the shelving 10, and its rear end terminates in and substantially forms a part of the rear wall or partition 6, the latter being provided with doors 6 through which entrance may be had to a wareroom or general storage room from which the merchandise on the shelvin 's or merchandise holders may be replenished As these doors are normally closed, the customers cannot enter the general storage room. A suhstair tially Ushaped display counter or cabinet 13 has its bight portion disposed between the magazine rack 12 and the outer front entrance l4, and the parallel sides Il this U-shaped display counter are disposed be tween the duplex shelving if) and the side shelvings. This Ushaped cabinet spaced a suilicient distance from the central and side shelvings to form a passage around and within the U-shaped cabinet, and the distance from the front of the U-shaped cabinet to the magazine ra k 12 is so great that the magazines cannot be reached by a person who is outside of the'U-shaped part of the passage at the end of the shelving l By referring to Figs. l and 7), it will be seen that the U'shaped cabinet is is sutliciently low to permit [P01250118 on opposite sides thcrm'if to see one another and to permit such persons to inspect merchandise in the display bins 15. These display bins are supported on and extend laterally across a partition wall 16 which is sup 'iorted by and cxtcmls up from a basal shelf 17. ()n op})o site sides of the partition 16 is a plurality of lateral ,artitions 18 which support shelves 19. 7 he bins 153 are relatively deep, and deeper at their rear ends than at then front ends, so that when filled with merchandise, such as beans, peas, cereals, etc. for instance, the surface presented by such merchandise is inclined toward the customer who is inspecting the same. thereby facilitilting a thorough inspection while present mg a pleasin' aspect to the customer. A series of samp e containers 20 extends along the series of bills, 15, and a partition 21 is common to the bins l5 and sample containers 20. A cover 22 of glass or other transparent material is fitted on the sample containers and pricecards may be placed on or under the cover 20, so that the customer may not only inspect the quality, but also the price of the goods about to be purchased. Approximately midway between the U-shaped counter or cabinet 13 and front entrances i4 is disposed a semi-circular desk 23, and a laterally extending partition or railing 2% adjoins this desk and combines therewith to form a booth 25 in which one or more attendants stand, such as cashier, accountant and bundle wrapper. Adding machines are indicated at 26, and a cash register is indicated at 27, the spaces between the adding machines and partition 24 being reserved partition 24 to points between the desk 23 and the display cabinet 13, the rear ends of these railin s being spaced a sufiicient distance to establish an open communication with the passagearound the cabinet 13 and an exit 'assage between the railings 28 and desk 23.

etween the ends of the partition 24 and "the front ends of the railings 28 are disposed exit gates 29, these gates being preferably in the form of a one-way turnstilefany appropriate means (not shown) being provided to prevent the turnstiles from turning backward, and their construcsuch tion being such that persons ,cannot enter the exit passages while going from the front toward the rear of the room. Similar, but oppositely rotating gates or turnstiles 30 are rovided between the side walls 5 and the ront ends of the railings and persons may enter and pass therethrough in going from the front to the rear of the store, but cannot pass theretlu-ough in going toward the front of the store.

In front of the partition 2; a i:asl-:et holder or shelving 31 is provided, so that when the customer wishes to get a basket in which to carry merchandise from the store, customer may take such basket from the shelf 31, pass through one of the side gates 30, select and take the desired goods rom'the merchandise holders 8, 10 or 13, *and pass toward the front of the store, be

J -tween the rear ends of the railings 28, and in thus passing outward, the customer is confronted by 'one or more attendants at the desk 23, whereupon the goods which have been .selected by the customer are checked, the respective prices added on the calculating machine 26, the customer receiving a duplicate of the amount produced from the calculating machine, and when the customer has paid for the goods, the amount of the payment is registered on the cash register 27. 'If any of the goods are to be wrapped, such wrapping is done without the goods be ing passed to another desk. It will be seen. therefore, that each customer is served with the utmost despatch and with the least inconvenience, and may now pass by a comparatively short course through one of the gates 33' and the front door 14.

Allhough l have described this embodiment of my invention very specifically, it is not intended to limit this invention to these exact details of construction and arrange- Invui, but changes may be made Within the scope of the inventive ideas, as implied and oh: i (nod.

l i'lz-at 1 claim as my invention is:

l o a store for the vending of merchandise, :1 storage inclosure provided with shelvin extending along its side Walls and rear wal said int-insure having an attendants desk in the middle of its front portion, a merchan dise holder extending from the middle of the rear portion of the inclosure toward the said attendants reek; a substantially U- shapod merchandise holder having its bight portion disposed between and spaced from said desk and from the first said merchan disc holder a distance to perwit persons to pass one another through the spaces thus provided, the other parts oi. said U-shaped .u'ierchandise holder being spaced. from the said wali shelving and from the first said merchandise holder a distance to permit persons to pass therebetween, all parts of said U-shaped merchandise holder being sufficiently low to permit an attendant at said desk to see persons on all sides of said u shaped merchandise holder, rearwardly bowed partitions extending forward and leterally from points midway between said ineri-haiuiise holder and attendants desk to points midway between said side walls and said attendants desk to form walled entrance passages and exit passages which are in open communication with said pas sagenay through a doorway between said partitions, exelusivciy entrance gates in said entrance passages, and exclusively exit gates in said exit passages the latter being between said rearwardly bowed partitions and the said attendants desk.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM B. MoCARTY. 

